Rig Veda 1.47.8: Mandala 1, Sukta 47, Mantra 8
Sukta 1.47
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
अर्वाञ्चा वां सप्तयोऽध्वरश्रियो वहन्तु सवनेदुप । इषं पृञ्चन्ता सुकृते सुदानव आ बर्हिः सीदतं नरा ॥
arvā́ñcā vām saptáyo ’dhvara-śríyo váhantu savanéd úpa | íṣaṃ pṛñcántā su-kṛ́te su-dā́nava ā́ barhíḥ sīdatam narā ||
യജ്ഞത്തിന്റെ മഹിമയായ അധ്വരശ്രീയാൽ ദീപ്തമായ നിങ്ങളുടെ സപ്തയ (ഏഴ്-യുക്ത) ശക്തികൾ, സവനം—സോമപീഡനത്തിലേക്കു നിങ്ങളെ ഇവിടെ കൊണ്ടുവരട്ടെ. സുകൃതം ചെയ്യുന്നവനു, സുദാനവൻ (ഉദാര ദാതാവ്)നു ഇഷ് (പോഷക പ്രേരണ) പകർന്നു—ഹേ നരാ, പവിത്ര ബർഹിസിൽ ഇരിക്കുവിൻ.
Word by Word
- अर्वाञ्चा
- hitherward, coming towards (us)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वाम् इति सम्बोधन/सम्बन्धेन—अश्वौ/रथौ प्रति)Role विशेषण (कर्तृसम्बन्धी) / कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्Root अर्वाञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) < अव्/अर्व् ‘to go/turn’ (दिशावाचक) अथवा *arvañc- ‘towards (us), hither’
- वाम्
- of you two / yourPronounषष्ठी/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (enclitic) — ‘of you two / you two’ (वेदे बहुधा स्वामित्व/सम्बन्धे)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी) — ‘your’Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सप्तयः
- the horsesNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot सप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) ‘horse’
- अध्वरश्रियः
- glorious/ornamental for the sacrificeAdjective (compound)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (सप्तयः इति विशेष्यस्य)Role विशेषण (कर्तृसम्बन्धी)Root अध्वर-श्री (समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय) — अध्वरस्य श्रीः ‘sacrificial splendour/ornament’
- वहन्तु
- let (them) carry / conveyVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot वह् (धातु) ‘to carry, convey’
- सवने
- at the Soma-pressing (rite)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot सवन (प्रातिपदिक) ‘pressing, Soma-pressing; libation-time’
- इद्
- indeed, justIndeclinableनिपात (एव/खलु/नूनम्-भावे, बलवर्धक)Role निपात (अर्थबलवर्धन)Root इद् (निपात)
- उप
- near, up toIndeclinableअव्यय (समीप/अभिमुख्ये)Role दिशा/उपसर्गार्थ (गत्यर्थे)Root उप (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- इषम्
- refreshment, nourishmentNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इष् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘refreshment, strength, nourishment’
- पृञ्चन्ता
- sprinkling, bestowingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा, द्विवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (नरा इति कर्तृ-सम्बन्धेन)Role कर्तृ (कृदन्तेन) / विशेषण-रूपेणRoot प्रच्/पृच् (धातु) ‘to sprinkle, mix, bestow’
- सुकृते
- for good work/meritNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot सु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक) ‘good deed/merit; well-doing’
- सुदानवः
- the bountiful onesAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (देव/अश्व-समूहस्य वा विशेषणम्; अत्र सप्तयः/ते इत्यर्थे)Role कर्तृ (वहन्तु इत्यस्य) / विशेषणRoot सु-दानु (प्रातिपदिक) ‘good giver, bountiful’
- आ
- to, hitherIndeclinableअव्यय (आगमन/समन्तात्)Role उपसर्गार्थ (गत्यर्थे)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- बर्हिः
- the sacrificial grass (seat)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वेदे -s अन्तस्य रूपम्)Role कर्म (सीदतं इत्यस्य—‘sit on’)Root बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक) ‘sacrificial grass, barhis’
- सीदतम्
- sit (you two)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचनRole क्रियाRoot सद् (धातु) ‘to sit’
- नरा
- O two heroes (Aśvins)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, द्विवचन (अश्विनौ प्रति)Role सम्बोधनRoot नर (प्रातिपदिक) ‘man, hero’
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अर्वाञ्चा | वाम् | सप्तयः | अध्वरश्रियः | वहन्तु | सवने | इद् | उप | इषम् | पृञ्चन्ता | सुकृते | सुदानवः | आ | बर्हिः | सीदतम् | नरा । मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) सप्तयः + अध्वरश्रियः → सप्तयोऽध्वरश्रियः (अः + अ → ओऽ)
- (2) सवने + इद् + उप → सवनेदुप (ए + इ → ए; इद्-निपातस्य संधौ ‘द्’ परे स्वरादौ लोप/संयोगेन ‘दु’ इव)
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let your seven-yoked bearers, glorious in the sacrifice, bring you to the pressing. Pouring out nourishment for the doer of good work and the generous giver, sit on the sacred grass-seat, O heroes.
Inner meaning
The ‘seven-yoked’ signifies a complete set of energies (often read as seven powers/forces) harnessed to bring the Aśvins into the inner yajña. The sacrifice’s glory (adhvaraśri) is the beauty of disciplined offering. The Aśvins are asked to ‘sprinkle/pour’ iṣa—impulsion, nourishment—into the being of the sincere practitioner (sukṛt) and the generous one (sudānav), i.e., the part of us that gives itself to the Divine. Seating on the barhis is the settling of divine powers into the prepared receptive consciousness.
Universal truth
When the human being prepares a true offering, the higher powers arrive through a harmonized totality of forces and establish themselves in the receptive field, increasing our strength and right impulse toward the good.
Themes
savana-invitation, sevenfold-power, seating-of-deities, energizing-influx
The seer
- Rishi
- Kaṇva
- Lineage
- Kaṇva-gotra
- Other hymns
- RV 1.47, RV 1.36 (Agni—inner priest motifs, thematic)
Family tradition
Kaṇva hymns often detail the ‘inner ritual technology’: invitation, seating, offering, and the resulting increase of force and joy.
Significance
Emphasizes that divine arrival requires a prepared seat (barhis) and a harmonized harnessing of forces (seven-yoked)—a map for inner practice.
The deity
- Devata
- Aśvinau
- Epithets
- Narā (heroes), Adhvaraśriyaḥ (connected with sacrifice-glory; here describing their bearers)
- Related deities
- Agni (seat and sacrifice), Soma, Uṣas
Cosmic role
Arrive at the pressing, receive Soma, and distribute vigor and nourishment to the sacrificer.
Inner power
Establishing divine presence in the prepared consciousness; energizing right works with a flowing impulsion (iṣ).
In ritual
Where it is used
Aśvin invitation to the savana; seating on barhis in Soma rite.
अ॒र्वाञ्चा॑ वां॒ सप्त॑योऽध्वर॒श्रियो॒ वह॑न्तु॒ सव॒नेदुप॑ । इषं॑ पृ॒ञ्चन्ता॑ सु॒कृते॑ सु॒दान॑व॒ आ ब॒र्हिः सी॑दतं नरा ॥
अ॒र्वाञ्चा॑ । वा॒म् । सप्त॑यः । अ॒ध्व॒र॒ऽश्रियः॑ । वह॑न्तु । सव॑ ना । इत् । उप॑ । इष॑म् । पृ॒ञ्चन्ता॑ । सु॒ऽकृते॑ । सु॒ऽदान॑वे । आ । ब॒र्हिः । सि॒द॒त॒म् । न॒रा॒ ॥
arvāñcā | vām | saptayaḥ | adhvara-śriyaḥ | vahantu | savanā | it | upa | iṣam | pṛñcantā | su-kṛte | su-dānave | ā | barhiḥ | sidatam | narā
44
4×11 (approx.)
Processional and ceremonial; feels like ‘arrival → pouring → seating’.
Creates ritual solemnity inwardly; helps the mind ‘prepare the seat’ and receive force.
- सप्तयः (saptayaḥ)
- Literal: seven-yoked/teams of seven. Symbolic: integral set of powers (seven energies/operations) harnessed for the divine movement
- अध्वरश्रियः (adhvaraśriyaḥ)
- Literal: radiant with sacrifice-glory. Symbolic: beauty and clarity born of disciplined offering; luminous order in practice
- सवन (savana)
- Literal: Soma pressing. Symbolic: moments of concentrated extraction of delight/essence from experience
- इष् (iṣ) / इषम् (iṣam)
- Literal: refreshment, vigor, nourishment. Symbolic: impulsion-force and sustaining energy for right works
- सुकृते (sukṛte)
- Literal: to the doer of good work. Symbolic: the part of us aligned to dharma and conscious practice
- सुदानवे (sudānave)
- Literal: to the generous giver. Symbolic: self-giving nature; offering of ego and possession to the Divine
- बर्हिः (barhiḥ)
- Literal: sacrificial grass seat. Symbolic: prepared receptive consciousness; purified foundation for descent
- नरा (narā)
- Literal: heroes/men. Symbolic: divine heroic powers that battle disorder and heal
Savana (Soma pressing) invitation; seating the gods on barhis as part of soma liturgy
At the Soma-pressing sequence when inviting deities to the barhis.
Invite, seat the deities, offer Soma; request nourishment for the sacrificer.
Before meditation, treat your mat/seat as barhis; chant to invite harmonizing forces and to energize ethical action and generosity.
saptá- 'seven' (completeness/totality). adhvará- 'sacrifice' from √dhvṛ/adhvara semantic 'uninjured/straight movement' (traditional), here taken as the right-ordered offering-journey. ī́ṣ-/íṣa- 'impulse, refreshment' from √iṣ 'to impel, invigorate'. √sad 'sit' (sīdatam). barhís 'sacrificial seat' (outer: grass strewn; inner: arranged receptivity/consecrated base).
iṣ (impulsion/increase), sacrifice as ordered journey (adhvara), receptivity (barhis as prepared base)
Adhvara (sacrifice) is action according to ṛta; seven-yoked implies ordered totality rather than scattered force.
Sukṛt = action truthful to the soul’s intention; the gods nourish that truth-aligned doing.
Descent and establishment: divine powers ‘sit’ in the human field, increasing force for works.
Integral yoga reading: inner yajña as method of transformation.
Morning (savana)
Barhis = prepared nervous system/field; pouring = infusion of prāṇa/force; seven-yoked = coordinated faculties/energies.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ritualized descent/arrival: the gods are borne by sevenfold powers to the pressing, then seated. Innerly, the sevenfold dynamic energies carry the Aśvin illumination into the prepared consciousness (barhis), releasing iṣ—growth-impulse—for the right worker and generous giver.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- The prominence of 'seven' as a structuring sacred number and the chariot/steed conveyance motif are widely Indo-European. The imperative invitation + seating formula is a stable archaic liturgical syntax.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi acts as organizer of inner and outer rite: he prepares the 'seat' and calls the powers to enter it. The Aśvins respond by pouring iṣ—an influx that supports right action (sukṛta) and the giving nature (sudāna).
Prepare a receptive inner ‘seat’; invite harmonized forces; receive nourishment for right action and generosity.
mūlādhāra (seat/stability) supporting anāhata (generosity)
Slow diaphragmatic breathing; on inhale feel ‘arrival’, on exhale feel ‘seating’.
Receptive stability with subtle energization.
Clean the space, sit, and silently offer one habit to be transformed. Chant, then sit in stillness imagining the Aśvins ‘seated’ as calm strength. End by choosing one concrete generous act (sudānav) today.
Accents often rise on key imperatives (vahantu, sīdataṃ) and ritual nouns (savane, barhiḥ).
Let the second hemistich slow slightly to ‘seat’ the sound on ‘ā barhiḥ sīdataṃ’.
(saptayo): clear ‘pt’, (adhvaraśriyaḥ): dhv cluster; śriyaḥ with palatal ś, (pṛñcantā): ṛ and ñc clear
Warm, inviting, with a grounded resonance.
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